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"NEVEK 
AGAIN !" 



BY 



Louise Aimee Patterson 



Private Mailing Card 



PLACE 

STAMP 

HERE 



"NEVER AGAIN" 

A Peace Playlet 
By Louise Aimee Patterson 

CAST OF CHARACTERS: 

Peace Dressed in Patriotic Costume 

Chost In Black Cowl 

The Mother In Mourning, with Black Veil 

Soldier In Khaki 

l'OLLY In Dancing Dress 

War Profiteer Repellent 

SETTING: 
In a community square, or can be presented on a rostrum, 
schoolroom, or in a summer garden. 

Enter PEACE, with gentle dignity. 

Heigho, since the great world-war is won, 

I will rest me awhile in this lovely spot, 
For my work is done .... 

Starts to seat herself on a garden seat, but remains stand- 
ing, startled by the appearance of the GHOST. 

GHOST: 

Nay, Peace, your work's not done — 
'Tis but begun 1 

The Ghost takes his position in center of stage, with hands 
crossed over breast, motionless, without gesture, and recites 
in solemn tones: 

In Flanders' Fields the poppies blow 
Between the crosses, row on row. 

That mark our place .... And in the sky 

The larks, still bravely singing, fly 
Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We arc the dead. Short days ago, we lived, 
Felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 

Loved and were loved, and now we lie 
In Flanders Fields .... 

Take up our quarrel with the foe. 
To you, with falling hands, we throw 

The torch. Be yours to hold it high. 

If ye break faith with us, who die, 
We shall not sleep, though poppies blow 
In Flanders Fields. 
From "In Flanders Fields" by Lieut. John McCrac. 

Drop of Flanders Fields or some tragic roar scenes could 
be shown here to illustrate this poem suitably. 

PEACE (greatly agitated): 
What would you have me do, I pray . . . . ? 

JUN 21 1921 TMPSfc-006686 



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GHOST (indicating entrance of Mother) : 
Now comes a mother, sorrowing .... 
Hear what she has to say. 
I must away, a-way — a-way .... 

MOTHER (wiping eyes, a letter in hand) : 
Ah, if I only knew where he lay .... (discovers Peace). 
Sweet Peace, if thou hadst only stayed 
My son wouldst not on bloody field be laid I 
Hear this, I pray — 'twas long-delayed .... 
"Dear Mother: If you receive this letter, 
T'will be for worse and not for better, 
As I will have said, until the last breath, 
'Don't send, except in case of death . . . .' 
Now do not grieve, my mother dear. 
Know that I go to my death without fear, 
And if the Huns get me, they'll have to pay dear! 
Life looks so cheap where I have been, 
An impossible struggle — how could one win? 
And I'm tired out — and war is so sad, 
With Hell all about us, and men gone mad — 
So if my part's soon ended, you ought to be glad 
Like I'll be. Machine gun's a crime against men, 
Would it could be, 'Never again!'" 

PEACE (clasping hands sadly): 
Ah, me, this tries me sorely I Then, 
How can we make it, 'Never again I ' 

SOLDIER (appearing with mss. of LEAGUE 

OF NATIONS): 
This will make it — "Never Again!" 

(Unrolls mss.) 
The League of Nations, 

You may have guessed — 
Men will not read it, heed it, 

It is much oppressed, 
By those in high place, 
Who have not the grace 

To grant it fair hearing .... 

It is most 'done for' by the mobs' jeering. 
Oh, Peace, fair Peace, have you not the vision 
To grasp my great mission . . . . ? 

There was One, who taught clearly 

The Brotherhood of Man. Queerly, 
It took all these years to grasp the equations — 
Brotherhood of Man — Brotherhood of Nations! 

'Tis but a step. Nations are but numbers of men; 

This world-war should teach us, 'Never again!' 

PEACE (to herself): 
I've heard that before — 
'Twas the same that the soldier swore. 

Who is the sponsor for this League, my son? 



SOLDIER (vehemently): 

Wilson — he's the one — 
He'll go down in history as a 'big gun'. 
One of the 'Big Three', 't will be — 
Washington, Lincoln, W-i-1-s-o-nl 

This point might be brought out, by throwing on a screen, 
successively, pictures of Washington, Lincoln and Wilson, 
followed by a famous saying from each, such as Lincoln: 
"The inalienable rights of man are Life, Liberty and the 
Pursuit of Happiness." Does war grant these? 

SOLDIER (continuing): 
They've criticized, and exorcized — 

And all but killed the League of Nations; 

They've tried to tack on 'reservations' — 

To defeat it by all sorts of creations. 

'Tis the fate of great things to be called 'aberations.' 

We went back on our President, the while 
Europe looked on with a smile, 

Or only shook her head .... 

"What more could you expect?" she said. 

But when the PEOPLE GET TOGETHER, 

Their arguments won't weigh a feather; 

For what the PEOPLE want, they'll vote for. 
And, if fight they must, 'take off their coat for!' 
Stand by the President, and the League of Nations 
And, like him, don't stand for any 'half rations.' 

"For if we change one line of it 
Europe, too, can then re-write it. 

What's done, let's have done. 

And not just begun! 
There's nothing in it to involve. Despite 
Continued outcries, it does not invite 

Wars — but stops them. Read word for word 

And you'll find such claims absurd. 

Enter FOLLY (airily, with tinsel and bells jingling) 
(Pauses close to Soldier, provol(ingly) 
Why, listen to this long-faced boy — 

No more of it — (turns on toes with dancing step) 
The war's all over, let's have joy. 

Dancing! Feasting! Must we shed tears 

All through the years? 
What's done 't were foolish to regret. 
Let's have dancing — and forget — forget — forget! 

What's war to us, now that it is over. 

WAR PROFITEER (discovered, weighed down 
with money bag) 
Aye, what's war to us, when we're in clover? 
Folly, I've a fancy for thee. Amuse me. 
And you'll not sorry be (leers at her). 



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President Wilson says : 

"Back of every great purpose of the United States there marches that great 
host which has brought us to the present day: Th e host that has never forgot- 
ten the vision which it saw at the birth of the nation: the host which always 
responds to the call of humanity and of liberty; the host that will always con- 
stitute the strength of the United States." 

(The host which Lincoln called "the plain people.") 

In this Great Democracy, we are all "plain people." It is what has made our 
Great Democracy. And each one, as an individual, counts in the Great Cause 
of Humanity, which faces these United States TODAY! Are you going to be 
one of that great host , and join the great army of "Never Again!" War is a 
crime against men. . . . The League of Nations means 'no more wars'. We 
need you, each one of you, in the great host, who voice this "Never Again!" 
Your voice is your VOTE. . . . ! 









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FOLLY (turns in his direction, but is arrested by 
the stern tones of the Soldier) 
Wanton, get thee hence. Wilt thou never reason? 
War should mean no less than — TREASON ! 

Treason's a strong word, you say. We'll go further: 
War should mean no less than — MURDER. 
GHOST (re-appearing and silencing the others, 
with uplifted hand, while he chants): 
Now in this morning of a nobler age, 

Though night-born eyes, long taught to fear the sun. 
Would still destroy the world's great heritage, 

Make firm, O God, the peace our dead have won, 
For Folly shakes the tinsel on her head 

And points us back to darkness and to Hell, 
Crying, "Beware of visions" — while our dead 
Still cry: "It was for visions that we fell!" 

(By permission of Alfred Noycs) 
PEACE (in great agitation) : 
Oh, Children mine, now I see — ■ 
Your message has come home to me! 
My work's not over! Only when 
We've won our lesson from this war. Till then 
We'll keep on striving, our motto to be — 
"Never again! Never again!" 

("Never Againl" could also be presented in the form of 
a pageant. A number of school children, each carrying 
flowers, dropping them, as they march by, at the foot of a 
mimic monument, or a Roll of Honor, in the public square, 
or on soldiers' graves in a cemetery, and singing some 
patriotic marching hymn, such as "Battle Hymn of the 
Republic," to slow music.) 



(Copyrighted Jlugust, 1920) 



President Wilson says : 

"Back of every great purpose of the United States there marches that great 
host which has brought us to the present day: The host that has never forgot- 
ten the vision which it saw at the birth of the nation: the host which always 
responds to the call of humanity and of liberty; the host that will always con- 
stitute the strength of the United States." 

(The host which Lincoln called "the plain people.") 

In this Great Democracy, we are all "plain people." It is what has made our 
Great Democracy. And each one, as an individual, counts in the Great Cause 
of Humanity, which faces -these United States TODAY! Are you going to be 
one of that great host, and join the great army of "Never Again!" War is a 
crime against men. . . . The League of Nations means 'no more wars'. We 
need you, each one of you, in the great host, who voice this "Never Again!" 
Your voice is your VOTE. . . . ! 







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